Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-07-27
TIE HARp,HIrs OF VICTIM OF MAR
TIAL LAW.
LITTLE 70 Fat and Plenty to Do-His limo
eence Proved After Much Suf.
fering.

lint led me to think that he had seen
ne before. lie addressed me courte-
ousIy and inquired my name, which l
uavc him freely. In response to his
question / said, William j. Manning,
sir.
" Your address, please, be asked.
"'Dorlon's. on Iwenty-third street,
/ replied He made note OF my an
swcrs and said abruptly. Good eve
ming Good evening, sir, said /, IN
a distracted kind of way, for was
ny stifod by the suddenness OF the we'll
dressed stranger, who had forgotten to
leave NE his name. | was going to the
theatre, and with that in prospect soon
forgot the occurrence.
TEAPPED.
"Ncxt day / received message
requesting me TO call at No. % Vest
street. new York city. Wondering what
il meant / went without loss OF time to
tie place indicated in the note. 1T
,rovCd to be a branch oiiice OF the
/ nited States armys recruiting DEPOT.
On the door was a small placard with
tic inscription, Apply here for enlist
mont Here's some fun, ! thought
Iii request to he enlisted in the army
Just for a joke. The sergeant in the
outer Office received me cOldly, and
when / told him / wanted to be sol
dior he looked me over very carefully:
u, hen that ordeal Was over he declared
! was too small. Then he said it was
too late in the day, and TO come around
TO morrow. insisted on being taken
then and there, for was bent on find
ing out something about my mystic
rious letter.
"'Well.' he said, come in, and |
entered poorly-furnished Office, where
an officer in uniform sat at desk. The
examining physician was also there.
when explained my mission the doc
tor laughed and said Why, nay boy,
you are too young and not big enough
TO he q real soldier. Iou can't enlist.
At this ] Strengthened up. Gentle
men, said, j do not want to enlist,
but came here to demand M eXplana-
ton Of this letter, vhereupon pro-
duced the note. The officer read tle
note. and said Il know that writing,
and then he called a sergeant. The
sergeant. whose name was Tom Bart
lev. OF tie regular army, responded to
tie call, aud IL him l recognized the
pslty VIC had addressed me at Del
ronico's. Sergeant. do you know
tbs lad . asked the oiiicerln command.
ARRESTED FoR DEsEBTiOy.
".Enow him? Well, | should say
so. He's descrter. lie ran away
from the army four years ago. Re was
then in the recruiting rendezvous at
jefferson Barracks. Mo He laid his
hands on my shoulder and dramatical-
" told NE that | was his prisoner. To
say that was thunderstruck would not
describe my feelings. almost tainted,
50 great was the shock. Of course |
dcniod the charge and declared
that | had never been in the
army and never wanted to be.
/ called their attention to the fact
that four years ago ] was only seven
teen years old. The head officer slid
he would have to act on the word of the
sergeant, and | mUst remain under ar
rest until they could get the description
list from Jefferson Barracks. But this
is m outrage, said. TO contine me
is the same thing as Kidnapping. They
all lauehed at me and SAID ;hat was the
way dcseltcrs always talked. Still pro-
testing, / Was handcuiled and takcn
over to Governors Island. My clothes
were taken away from me and an old
blue Uniform placed at my disposal.
HARD LABOR AND CRUEL TREATMENT.
81 was put to work with gang Of
| military convicts on sea wall, where /
was compelled To labor in water up TO
by knees. could not quit work un-
der penalty Of being shot by a guard
| WHO stood over me with cooked re-
yolycr. in two weeks time | was sent
to Jefferson Barracks, No, where ! was
thrown into a filthy prison with thirty
other prisoners. They locked twelve
POUND sbacIles to my ankles. | had to
work at hard labor, constantly under
guard. One night ] was abused and
made a sport of 10y men for whom pun
ishment OF that kind had no ter
ror. Whether I had sleep or not
| had to go to work the next
day lust the same. Once | refused to
work through sheer exhaustion and
was strung up for it. My hands were
locked behind me, and rope was then
tied to the handouts and thrown over
a beam. 1t was then drawn upand my
arms were pulled behind me till hung
by my wrists two feet from the floor.
Jhe irons cut deep into my flesh till
the blood poured from the wounds.
After forty minutes of agony was cut
down. was then tied by a rope and
my shackles to cart. My body
touched the earth and / was dragged
for d mile over the frozen ground.
was allowed bread and water aud given
double work to do because of my re
volt.
| A SHAM TRIAL.